Topeka  A House committee on Thursday approved a proposed constitutional amendment that would prohibit the executive and judicial branches from ordering the Legislature to make any appropriation of money.

If the resolution is supported by two thirds of the House and Senate, the measure will be put on the November 2012 ballot for voters to decide.

The House Judiciary Committee approved House Concurrent Resolution 5006 on an 11-8 vote.

State Rep. Lance Kinzer, R-Olathe, said the measure was prompted by the 2005 Kansas Supreme Court decision that said the Legislature failed to abide by the Kansas Constitution and adequately fund schools. The court ordered the Legislature to increase school funding.

State Rep. Annie Kuether, D-Topeka, opposed the proposal saying the current separation of powers between the three branches of government is "working just fine."

Comments

In other words; They still are not meeting our constitutional obligation (according to their own study) so the legislature want to change the constitution so that the court can't force them to do their job." Has there been any word on a whip count as to how likely this proposal is to even get 2/3 support?

An unconstititional constitutional amendment? More eco-devo and yet another jobs program from our Republican friends. Should at least keep the litigators busy. Some forget the parents sued the state over school funding and the courts merely suggested the legislature fund the obligations they required by law using the numbers which resulted from their own studies. This is not as complex as some imagine.